Happy New Year! It’s that time again, resolutions sprouting everywhere. Part of me loves it, and part of me gets sad. The passion and desire people have to be healthier is great, but unfortunately most declarations end up being one month, not whole year commitments. Do you want lasting transformation in your life this year? Here are three simple tips to help move you in that direction:

1) Make practical goals –
Don’t shoot for the moon. Making small changes over time is proven to be the most effective to achieve lasting change. If you wanted to learn how to play tennis you wouldn’t expect yourself to be amazing and perfect after one week of practice. It’s the same with our wellness ambitions. Make practical, obtainable, simple goals, but ones that still challenge you. Don’t go all out in January, pace yourself, practice a new habit each week, or month as you continue the previous ones. For example, this week I may drink 5 glasses of water a day and next week I’ll go for six, working up to 8 or 10 per day. If you practice a new habit every month, after one year you’ll have adopted 12 new lifestyle changes. It may be slow and steady, but the tortoise won the race.

2) Make a plan –
We humans don’t just drift into healthy behavior (as much as we’d like to think we do, myself included). Plan for your week, month or year. Schedule meals, workouts, goals, rest and write out grocery lists. Get outside, be active, make it fun. It’s been said that the best exercise is the one we will actually do. But, planning is the first step. So, grab your phone, tablet, planner, chalkboard or old fashion paper schedule and write in one or two next steps that you will practice this week. Find joy in treating your body well, acknowledge what you can do, and not what you can’t. Our thinking directly affects our behavior.

3) Find a buddy –
Studies show that people lose twice as much weight when journeying with a companion opposed to the lone ranger approach. We are stronger in numbers, and healthy endeavors are no different. Those days when it’s raining and we’d rather sleep in or eat potato chips on our couch in pajamas we need friends! People who care about us and have similar goals, it keeps us motivated. And also gives us someone to share in the struggles and celebrations. Don’t give up, get a buddy.

Cut grapefruit or oranges into large sections, slice kiwi and lime. Place fruit and 15-20 mint leaves (or amount desired) into a large pitcher and fill with water. Cover and let set in fridge 8 hours or overnight. Add any favorite fruit.

Summer and fruit salads just go together, like peanut butter and chocolate, toast and jam, Sony and Cher. There’s nothing like freshly chopped, cold fruit on a scorcher of a day. Seasonal produce tossed with sweet juices, honey and refreshing mint make up this beautiful, easy salad. Great side, brunch or breakfast dish that everyone will enjoy. Perfect, healthy addition to your 4th of July menu next week, or backyard BBQ this weekend.

I’ve been up to my eyeballs in dirt, paint swatches and wall spackling the past few days. Coming home to this fruit salad kept me going, and probably well hydrated too!

So vibrant, so beautiful, so tasty ~ I just want to dive in!

FRESH FRUIT SALAD

serves 10-12

1 – SMALL SEEDLESS WATERMELON, made into balls

16 oz FRESH BLUEBERRIES

16 oz FRESH STRAWBERRIES, stem removed, halved or quartered

1 – PINEAPPLE, cut into chunks

3 ORANGES, juiced and 2 zested

2 LIMES, juiced and zested

1/4 cup HONEY, PURE

2-3 tbsp FRESH MINT, chopped

1. In a large mixing bowl, zest 2 oranges and 2 limes.

Then juice all 3 oranges and the two limes. Whisk in honey (I like using orange blossom honey for this, but whatever you have on hand will work) and set aside.

2. Cutting a pineapple: Using a sharp serrated knife, remove top and bottom to set flat. Run knife along the sides, following the pineapple curvature, to remove covering.

Slice in half vertically, and again crosswise, to create 4 quarters. Then, remove the core of each piece by cutting off the pointed end.

Cut each quarter into smaller vertical strips. Then line them up and cut into chunks.

Add to mixing bowl with honey dressing.

3. Cut the watermelon in half and scoop out the flesh of each half with a melon baller.

To serve salad in a watermelon bowl, clean out the inside by scrapping a spoon along the inside excess, pour out removed juice and flesh. Cut a small slice of each watermelon bottom to set flat on a serving plate.

4. Add melon balls, strawberry halves (quarter if really big) and blueberries to the pineapple. Chop up some fresh mint, 2-3 Tbsp, or to taste.

Sprinkle mint over the fruit and gently toss to coat fruit well with dressing and mint.

Serve in prepared watermelon halves or a big bowl garnished with mint sprigs. Drizzle honey dressing from the bottom of the bowl over top of fruit. Serving size: about 1 1/2 cups salad.

VARIATIONS: Try with any favorite or seasonal fruit, papaya, mango, cantaloupe or blackberries.

What’s more fun than eating off a wooden skewer? Being from Iowa I know all about State Fairs, and I think that’s why they serve everything on a stick. It’s just more exciting, and probably healthier, to take a bite out of a fried oreo on a stick, right? Ok….minus the healthy part.

An easy side dish, appetizer or dessert that looks like you spent half a day preparing. Delicious fresh fruit, beautifully displayed on a kabob with refreshing mint, for neatly dunking into creamy berry dip. Great shower or cocktail party food as well.

Mix it up with other seasonal fruits such as melon, kiwi or blackberries. Or add a little almond or vanilla extract to the fruit dip. Endless flavor possibilities!

Side note……I served the fruit kabobs with my almond raspberry cookies (under sides tab for valentine’s day or desserts) last night for a dinner. Made the cookies round and drizzled with melted white chocolate instead of almond glaze. They were a hit, with the children and adults!